Screen, Culture and Society

DRAM20041 Screen, Culture and Society 20 Semester 1 Undergraduate Level 2 Darren Waldron Unit coordinator Spanish, Portuguese and Latin Drama 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Middle part of Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 This course will introduce students to the key concepts and debates that have developed out of film and cultural theory within the past fifty years, and apply them to specific case studies, across national cinemas and genres. The key ideas of the course — ‘screen culture’ and ‘society’ — will be offered to students in ways which address constructed aesthetic, socio-cultural and industrial processes that go into the production and reception of screen media, including the experiential. The course will explore aspects of ideology, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, sensory cinema, national allegory, slow cinema, political filmmaking, technology and representation. A range of case studies will be used for close textual analysis and theoretical elaboration. This course will introduce students to the key concepts and debates that have developed out of film and cultural theory within the past fifty years, and apply them to specific case studies, across national cinemas and genres. The key ideas of the course — ‘screen culture’ and ‘society’ — will be offered to students in ways which address constructed aesthetic, socio-cultural and industrial processes that go into the production and reception of screen media, including the experiential. The course will explore aspects of ideology, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, sensory cinema, national allegory, slow cinema, political filmmaking, technology and representation. A range of case studies will be used for close textual analysis and theoretical elaboration. <ul> <li style="margin-left: 18pt;"> To interrogate the notion of a 'screen culture' through modes of production and reception</li> <li style="margin-left: 18pt;"> To explore the relationship between screen media and wider socio-cultural contexts</li> <li style="margin-left: 18pt;"> To employ textual analysis within a contextual framework</li></ul> Relate the close textual analysis of the films to wider socio-historical processes and contextsUnderstand the impact of social change and attitudes on screen mediaUnderstand screen media’s potential for socio-political commentary and interventionRead screen texts across genres and national industriesAnalyse screen texts in relation to wider cultural theoriesApply theories and secondary readings critically to their understanding of screen texts Develop a critical language for analysing and evaluating narrative content and aesthetic forms in screen media within wider socio-historical contextsConduct in-depth research into screen media and their historiesApply theoretical readings to questions of screen production, exhibition and reception Conduct close textual analysis of screen textsConstruct a persuasive argument in clear language, grounded in researchWork individually and collaboratively with other members of the group Demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively with others about intellectually demanding concepts, topics, materialsDemonstrate an ability to draw with accuracy, focus, detail and precision on complex materials in independent and group workDemonstrate an ability to effectively present – through discussion and in writing – complex topics, drawing convincingly on oral, written and visual media as appropriate to the topic Employability skills that students can expect to gain from successful completition of this module include: Group/team working An ability to work productively as part of a group and independently in learning environments that present complex challenges Innovation/creativity An ability to develop detailed, planned and multi-layered approaches to tasks Problem solving A good level of critical thinking and problem-solving skills Other An enhanced ability to effectively adapt self-presentation to different audiences/contexts, especially when communicating complex topics 0 Other 100% Summative: Group Visual / Video Essay: 30% Summative: Essay question: 70% <figure class="table"><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="0"><tbody><tr><td style="width:322px;">Feedback method</td><td style="width:340px;">Formative or Summative</td></tr><tr><td style="width:322px;">Group Visual / Video essay</td><td style="width:340px;">Formative and summative</td></tr><tr><td style="width:322px;">Exam – oral and written</td><td style="width:340px;">Summative</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>  Pre-requisites:  Any L1 core Drama (DRAM) film study course unit Y <ul> <li> Aaron, Michelle (2004) New Queer Cinema: A Critical Reader. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press</li></ul><ul> <li> Braudy, Leo and Cohen, Marshall eds. (1999) Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings.</li> <li> New York: Oxford University Press. Latest edition.</li> <li> Edgar, Andrew and Sedgwick, Peter eds. (2002) Cultural theory: the key concepts. London:</li> <li> Routledge.</li> <li> Hayward, Susan (2006) Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts. 3rd ed. London: Routledge.</li> <li> hooks, bell (1992) Black Looks: Race and Representation. Boston: Southend Press.</li> <li> Turner, Graeme, ed (2002) The Film Cultures Reader. London: Routledge,</li></ul>  Lectures 11 Seminars 16.5 0 172.5 Weekly screening